Messiah Lutheran Preschool And Day Care

Messiah Lutheran Preschool offers up to five and a half hours a day of imaginative, semi-structured early childhood education on the Westside of Santa Cruz. The program emphasizes child-directed learning through natural materials, responsive environments, and developmentally appropriate activity areas.

Philosophy

We believe that children are unique human beings with their own individual ways of learning. We provide natural materials and a well-prepared, responsive environment which emphasizes a child's own experimentation, self-direction and self-expression. We give the children free choice of curriculum ideas throughout the day. We offer a social skills based program which is not highly academic. It is our firm belief that the early years of a child's life are the most important regarding their development. It is our desire to help our children establish healthy self-concepts and social skills so they are equipped with a good foundation for future learning.

Ages served

Ages 2 through 5 years

Hours

Core program 9:00 am - 12:00 pm; extended options 8:30 am - 2:00 pm; minimum 2 days per week, maximum 5 days per week

Outdoor

Fenced outdoor space with sandbox, multiple play structures, gardening beds, and biking area with tricycles. Program operates primarily outdoors.

Meals

Snack provided during structured snack time

Religious

Lutheran

Not stated on their website: Tuition rates, Lunch services, Teacher qualifications, Curriculum details beyond activity areas. Ask the preschool directly.

Summarized by AI from the preschool's own website (Jun 23, 2026). Not written or verified by PreschoolWise — confirm details directly with the program.